Hair clipper



Mar. 3, 1925.

A. M. LUTES HAIR CLIPPER Filed Feb. 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Shoot 1 11 vVI-TNTOR 1/) /'/'t 10225.

Mar. 3, 1925. 1,528,745

A. M. LUTES HAIR CLIPPER Filed Feb, 3, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VII/ 111 1'A Y'TORNE r Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR M. LUTES, or KANSAS CITY, MIssoURI.

'7 HAIR CLIPPER.

Application filed February 3, 1922.

To all 107110-222 it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR M. LUTES,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the countyof Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Hair Cli pers; and I do declare the following to eafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thefigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to mechanically operated hair clippers andparticularly to the type of hair clippers in which a reciprocatorycutter bar is actuated by a shaft, preferably a flexible shaft, from aprime mover or motor.

The invention contemplates the provision of means for efficientlyreciprocating the reciprocatory cutter bar with a minimum of lost motionso that the liability of noise will be reduced to a minimum and it isalso the purpose of the invention to provide a hair clipper mechanismwhich may be conveniently assembled and which will be inexpensive tomanufacture, the parts being so arranged that they may be readilyaccessible for the purpose of inspection or repairs.

The invention consists in certain novel arrangements of parts andcombinations of parts, all of which will be specifically referred tohereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichFig. 1 is a perspective view of a hair clipper constructed in accordancewith my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through the hairclipper, part of the mechanism being shown in elevation and part insection. v

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3 -3 of Fig. 2.-

Fig. t is across sectional view on the line l--4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the hair clip: per showing the worm boxcover and the guard housing removed.

Fi 6 is an enlarged detail, perspei tivo a i View of the guard hous ng,

Serial No. 533,814.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of a tension spring co-operatingwith the guard erably consists of a casting 1 having handles 2 and 3 andoutstanding fingers at and 5. The casting is provided intermediate itsends with cross webs 6 and 7 to provide a worm gear casing adapted to beclosed by a removable cover plate 8. Extending forwardly in front of theweb 6 is an angular bracket 9, which supports the stationary cutter bar10, provided with the usual teeth 11.

Spaced rearwar'dly from the web 7 isa transverse bearing 12', having acollar 13, through which the end of the. drive shaft projects forengaging the worm shaft 14. The drive shaft 15,- which may be a flexibleshaft, is provided with a sleeve 16 having a circumferential groove 17therein adapted to be engaged by a spring-pressed pin 18 so that thesleeve will not be pulled from the hearing or socket collar 13, therebyinsuring its connection with the worm shaft 14:. The worm shaft projectsthrough a bearing 19, which is screwed in the web 7 and has its free endin a bearing 20 adjacent to the web 6. The worm shaft is provided with aworm 21, which meshes with a worm gear 22, mounted on the shaft 23. Theshaft 23 passes through a wear blate 24 in a countersunk recess 25 inthe bottom 26 of the gear case and loosely mounted on the shaft 23' isthe gear 22, the bottom of which may rotate on the wear plate 2a, whichcan be removed when it has worn sufficiently to justify a removal.

The bottom of the gear case constitutes the bearing for the shaft 23 andthe upper end .ofthe shaft-23 is supported in the cover plate 8 and inactual practice I prefer to offset or provide a flat face 27 on therestricted end 28 of the shaft 23 which enters the plate 8 so that theshaft will not turn. The lower restricted end 29 of the shaft 23 is alsoangular in cross section, whereit enters the bottom plate 26. The coverplate 8 can be fastened in place by screws 30.

By reference to Fig. 9 it will be observed that integral with the wormgear 22 is a cam or eccentric 31, on which is'mounted a cam link 32,having an opening 33 fitting over the cam 31 and provided with a hookedend 34 which engages a head 35 of a vibrating lever 36. The vibratinglever is provided with a hub or sleeve 37, located inter mediate itsends and loosely litting'over a'spindle 38, which is shown as a studbolt having its respective ends 39 and 40 threaded. The lower end '39 ofthe bolt is threaded int-o'the casting and the upper end projects abovethe casting to receive a compression nut to be referred to hereinafter.

Thespindle or bolt is also shown as pass ing through a perforateprojection 41 on the cover plate 8. .The hub or sleeve 37 may oscillateabout the axis of'the spindle when' movement is imparted to it through.the medium of the cam 31 and the link 32.

The forward end of the lever engages a notched portion 42on thelaterally reciproeatory cutter bar 43. The cutter bar 43 is providedwith teeth 44, which co-operate "forward end of the operating lever andfor the movable cutter-bar 43. The housing plate also constitutes aguide and tension plate, the forward edge of which is provicled withnotches or recesses and 51 which receive the lugs 47 and 48 so that theforward end of the plate49 will be properly positioned with respect tothe cutter bar 43. Theforward edge 52 of theplate 49 is provided withremovable projections or inserts 53 and 54, which are adapted toslightly bear upon the movable cutter bar so as to hold it in slidingcontact with the stationary cutter bar. The inserts are of hard materialand can be renewed when desired.

.The degree of pressure of the housing plate and the tension member 49will be de termined by the compression nut 55 on the threaded end 40 ofthe stud bolt or spindle 48. The nut 55. is provided with a restrictedportion 56, which is adapted to pass through the opening 57 in the plate49 and on the end thereof is a further restricted portion 56, whichpasses through the plate 58 and is peened over so that it can turn withrespect to the plate 58 but so that the plate 58, the nut and the plate49 will all be secured together.

The end of the restricted portion 56 of the nut 55 is adapted to bearagainst the spring tension plate 58, having forwardly projecting fingers59 and 60 which are provided with upturned ends 61 and 62 to bearagainst the inner face of the offset portions 51 and 52.

The rear edge of the plate 49 is provided with a depending flange 63which rests upon the upper face of the plate 8 so that there is a spacebetween the body portion of the plate 58 and the plate 8. Therefore,when the nut 55 is screwed on the end 40, there will be a tendency toflex the portion of the plate 58 about the hole 64, through which thespindle projects, and apply pressure on the plate 49 to cause it to bearagainst the reciprocatory cutter bar 43 and hold it in proper operatingposition. Therefore, when the lever 36 oscillates or vibrates, thereciprocatory cutter bar will move backand forth because the end of thelever engages the notched portion 42 and since the lugs or projections47 and 48 project through the slots 45 and 46, thereciprocatory cutterbar will be maintained in proper rectilineal alignment during itsreciprocation and in view of the fact that the necessary adjustment maybe provided'for the tension plate 49, the sidewise. movement of thecutter bar 43 will be eliminated although the tension plate will notbear upon the cutter bar sufficiently to hinder its movement. Thetension plate 49 not only'functions as such but also constitutes .ahousing and it is provided with side flanges or walls 65 and 66.

The arrangement above described constitutes an easy assembly, the partsbeing adapted to be conveniently dropped into place, connected withoutspecial jigs or assembling tools and it is one of the purposes of theinvention to so design. the cutter that it may be inexpensivelymanufactured because the parts can be tlSSGll'lblGCl. by unskilledpersons and whenever it is desirable to have access to the mechanismfor. the purpose of inspection or repairs, this can be accomplishedwithout the employment of special tools because the nut 55 can beunscrewed and the screws 30 removed from the plate 8; after the plate 8has been taken off, the cutter bar and the vibratory lever may bereadily removed; the link 32 can be taken off the cam, and the cam willdrop out by inverting the device. It is to be understood, of course,that the spindle or shaft 38 is in a slot in the front wall of the camshaft box so that the forward end of the lever may project through it.

lll)

By reference to Fig. 12 it will be observed that the sleeve or tube 37is preferably made separate from the lever 36 and that its end is peenedover so that the lever and sleeve can be secured together. The wholedevice, as shown in Fig. 12, is then preferably hard ened by a cyanideprocess and preferably the end of the lever 36 which engages with thenotch in the movable cutter bar has its end 36, slightly rounded topermit the end to work freely in the notch 42 during the reciprocationof the cutter bar.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a mechanism constructed inaccordance with my invention may be inexpensively assembled, and thatthe parts are simple, durable and readily co-operate to produce an easy,smooth running device of the class above referred to.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

l. A hair clipper comprising a frame having a worm gear box therein, aworm disposed in the box longitudinally of the frame, a cam carryingworm gear meshing with the worm atone side thereof, a longitudinalvibratory lever having a headed rear end projecting into the box andlocated above and extending along the worm, a transversely disposed linkhaving a perforated outer portion fitting over the cam, said link havinga. hooked inner end extending over the worm and receiving the head ofthe lever, a rigid 'cutter bar on the forward end of the frame, and asliding cutter bar cooperating there with and receiving motion from theforward end of the lever.

2. A hair clipper comprising a frame having a rigid cutter bar securedto the front end thereof, a worm gear box in rear of the rigid cutterbar, a worm located Within the box and extending longitudinally of theframe, a worm gear meshing with the worm at one side through a removablewear plate beneath the worm gear, a shaft extending through the wormgear and plate and about which the worm gear rotates, a cam on the upperend of the worm gear, a longitudinal vibratory lever mountedintermediate of its ends for swinging movement and having a rear portionprojecting into the gear box and arranged above and extendinglongitudinally of the worm, the rear end of the lever being providedwith a head, a reciprocatory cutter bar operated by the forward end ofthe lever, and a transverse link aranged within the gear box andconnected at its outer end to the cam and at its inner end to the headof the lever.

3. A hair clipper comprising a frame having a rigid cutter bar at itsforward end, a movable cutter bar cooperating with the rigid cutter bar.and driving mechanism for the movable cutter bar comprising a centrallongitudinally disposed worm, a worm gear located at one side of theworm and meshing with the same, a cam carried by the upper end of theworm gear, a central longitudinally disposed lever pivoted intermediateof its ends and having its forward end connected with and adapted toactuate the movable cutter bar, the rear portion of the lever beinglocated above and extending longitudinally of the worm and having aterminal head and a transversely disposed connecting link provided atits inner and outer ends with bearings receiving respectively the headof the lever and the cam of the worm wheel, the said link being disposedsubstantially at right angles to the lever and the worm.

4. A hair clipper comprising a frame having a rigid cutter bar at itsforward end, a spindle carried by the frame, a vibratory lever having asleeve extending downwardly from its intermediate portion and mounted onthe spindle, a movable cutter bar cooperating with. the rigid cutter barand actuated by the forward end of the lever, a cover plate having anopening through which the upper end of the spindle projects, a springplate cooperating with the cover plate and bearing against the same, anut threaded on the upper end of the spindle and bearing against thespring plate, a centrally arranged worm located beneath the rear end ofthe lever, and means for transmitting motion from the worm to the lever.

5. A hair clipper comprising a frame having a rigid cutter bar at itsforward end, a 1 movable cutter bar mounted thereon, a lever pivotedintermediate its ends and engaging the movable cutter bar, means forvibrating the lever to impart movement to the cutter bar, a verticalspindle on which the lever is mounted, the upper end of the spindleprojecting through the lever, a tension plate enclosing the forwardplate of the lever and bearing against the movable cutter bar and havingspaced portions, a spring located beneath the tension plate andsupported at its rear end and bearing at its front end against the saidspaced portion of the tension plate, and a nut on the spindle forvarying the tension of the spring plate to vary the effective contact ofthe tension plate with respect to the movable cutter bar.

6. A hair clipper comprising a frame having a gear box, a cover platefor the gear box, a rigid cutter bar on the front of the frame a movablecutter bar co-operating therewith, a lever pivoted intermediate its endsand having its forward end engaging the movable cutter bar and its rearend projecting Within the gear box and operatively connected with thegear mechanism therein,

a tension plate bearing against the movable cutter bar, a spring plateprovided at its forward end with spaced projecting port-ions bearingagainst the tension plate and its rear end resting upon the cover plateof the gear box, a bolt projecting through the spring plate andthetensionplate, and a nut on the bolt bearing against the springplateto vary the tension thereof to in turn vary the tension of the tensionplate against the movable cutter bar.

7. A hair clipper comprising a frame having a rigid cutter bar at itsforward end, a movable cutter bar cooperating with the rigid cutter bar,and driving mechanism for the movable cutter bar comprising a centrallongitudinally disposed worm, a worm gear located at one side of theworm and meshing with the same, an eccentric carried by the upper end ofthe worm gear, a central longitudinally disposed lever pivot-edintermediate of-its ends and having its forward end connected with andadapted to actuate the movable cutter bar the rear portion of the leverbeing located above and extending longitudinally of the worm and havinga terminal head and a transversely disposed connecting link provided atits inner and outer ends with bearings receiving respectively the headof the lever and the cam of the worm wheel, the said link being disposedsubstantially at right angles to the lever and worm.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARTHUR M. LUTES.

